How long to stay in the cities on the way
The most efficient way would probably be to explore a city during the day, and hop on a sleeper train on the way to your next destination. However, you'll most likely get exhausted after a couple of days from the lack of sleep, shower and comfort. Try not to rush from place to place in an attempt to see everything in one day. The size of the city can tell you much but not always. For exmple, in a rather small Irkutsk there's much more to do and to see in the city and around (thanks to Baikal) than in a much bigger Novosibirsk. So try to make a plan for each city you're going to visit so that you have enough time to visit everything you want and not get bored or exhausted.
When to buy tickets
Buying tickets for Russian trains is always tricky. The good thing is, there's only one state company (known as RZD) that owns all railways in Russia so you don't need to think which company to choose. Use their website (in English), iPhone app (also in English) or Android app . Buying tickets in advance is a good idea if you travel in summer or over the holidays. Tickets go on sale 30, 45 or 60 days prior to departure (depending on the train) and it's usually cheaper (sometimes down to 50%) if you buy well in advance. If you have a sudden change of plans you can always return or exchange your ticket online any time before departure (the charges are minimal if you return 24h prior to depature). However, even in peak season, you can often snap up a ticket on the day of departure. Many Russians prefer to book their tickets (instead of buying them) and bookings that haven't been paid for usually get cancelled 24h before departure.
What to pack
- Dry shampoo and wet wipes if you plan to stay on a train for a long time
- A few good books and films to watch on your laptop or iPad
- Snacks and food that won't go off without a fridge, water, teabags (you can get a mug from the train attendant)
- Comfy clothes and sleepers to wear on a train
How to choose the right train for you
The Trans-Siberian is a route rather than a single train. There're dozens of trains to choose from if you plan to get off on the way. Some of them go as far as Kazan, others to Novosibirsk or all the way to Vladivostok, but all of them follow the same Trans-Siberian route. It'd be useful to learn more about the existing types of Russian trains before you get going. Firtsly, there're so-called premium service trains (фирменные поезда) and regular trains (скорые поезда). The difference is that premium service trains tend to have more convenient departure and arrival times, they are usually new or refurbished, have clean toilets, electric outlets, TVs and air-conditioning systems in the compartments, friendlier staff, etc. But they are also more expensive. Regular trains are slower, cheaper and dirtier. Unless you travel a short distance, I'd recommend opting for premium service trains. Then, there're also different types of train coaches. For shorter distances, you can opt for seating train coaches, they are the cheapest. Next come shared sleeping coaches known in Russia as 'platzkart' (плацкарт). This is probably the most popular type among Russians. It's cheap and you get to meet many people on the way. However, if you happen to be a light sleeper it's better to choose a more expensive 4-bed compartment known in Russia as 'coupé' (купе) where you can close the door to avoid any noises from other compartments. Finally, if you're tired of meeting new people and talking there're 2-bed compartments called 'SV' in Russia (СВ, спальный вагон). Most of the trains have restaurant coaches. None of them, however, have their own showers or toilets. There're normally 2 toilet cabins per train coach and no showers.
The premium service train going directly from Moscow to Vladivostok is called 'Russia' (001/002), it departs every other day and arrives to its destination in 6 days. This train consists of shared sleeping coaches, 4 and 2-bed compartments. There's also a regular train which departs on the rest of the days. It has both shared sleeping coaches and 4-bed compartments.
The train called 'Vostok' (019/020) that follows the Trans-Manchurian route runs once a week, departing Moscow on Saturdays and arriving to Beijing in a week. It is a premium service train with new train coaches but really old toilets where all waste is dumped onto the rails. The reason they don't refurbish them is because Chinese border control doesn't allow trains with modern toilets giving as a reason that they cannot properly inspect them. Also, prepare to spend almost the whole day on Russian-Chinese border. You'll have to take your luggage with you and wait on the station while they change the bogies under the coaches and inspect the train.
Finally, the train 0033/0043 that follow the Trans-Mongolian route leaves Moscow on Tuesdays and arrives to Beijing on Mondays. The train is operated by Chinese Railway company. It has both 2-bed and 4-bed compartments. Prepare to spend at least 4 hours on Russian-Mongolian and over 6 hours on Mongolian-Chinese border.
I know many people on whose bucket list the Trans-Siberian has been for ages. And yet they were postponing it again and again, not venturing beyond Moscow and St Petersburg. It is true that the Trans-Siberian, unlike many other journeys, requires a lot of planning. Not just the visa issue (and it so happens that whichever route you choose you’ll most likely need visa to Russia, Mongolia and China), but also how you are going to choose where to get off, and how long to stay there for, when and where to buy tickets, what to pack, etc. And then, what about your language skills? Maybe take a short Russian course first… All these questions and concerns pile up, and people end up postponing their journey forever.
But let’s take it step by step, and try to make the journey planning as easy as possible.
Why go
First of all, determine what is it that you’re primarily interested in. Many travellers choose the Trans-Siberiean simply because it's the longest railway journey in the world, and they want to feel what it's like to cross over 6000 miles of land by train. The numbers are surely impressive: the train from Moscow to Vladivostok passes 6 time zones, 2 continents, 19 regions of Russia and over 90 cities. There're other travellers who only see it as a means to explore Russian nature, a good way to meet Russian people, visit museums, restaurants, clubs or maybe go to a ballet or an opera. There're also those who want to experience what it is like to spend a week on a single train without getting off and watch Russia go by behind your window. Try to determine where your preferences lie, it will make your journey planning so much easier!
When to go
Would you rather go in summer or in winter? Or somewhere in between? Russian landscape completely changes when it’s covered by snow. You may not even recognise the places you’ve been to. Both summer and winter have their advantages. Some places look better in summer, others in winter. Firstly, it’s up to what kind of Russia you dream about. All covered in snow and ice, or green and warm?
Most of the museums and parks in Russia are open all year round but some of them may close earlier in winter. So if you want to fit as many places to visit in one day as you can, summer might be a better option. Also, in winter, it gets dark by 4pm so if you're planning to watch the scenery outside your window you should also consider travelling in summer.
Another thing to keep in mind is that in summer, you won’t need to pack coats, scarves, sweaters, etc. You can take just a few T-shirts and shorts, and a sweater if it gets a bit chilly. In winter, you’ll need much more than that. So ask yourself how important it is for you to travel light and how much you mind carrying a bulky and heavy bag. Good thing is, Russian trains usually don't have limits for bags so you can take as many as you want as long as you can fit them under the bed or on the top shelf.
Then, the other question is, would you rather be alone in your compartment or, if you choose a shared train coach, with very few people in it, or, on the contrary, prefer to meet as many people as possible? In summer, trains tend to be much more crowded than in winter. In the low seasons, particularly in November and February, you may end up travelling alone not only in your compartment but also in the whole train coach. To avoid crowds, do not travel on public holidays (New Year and Christmas holidays, 23 February, 8 March, 1-10 May, 12 June, end of August, 4 November). The prices go up for these days, and if you haven’t bought your tickets well in advance, you might not be able to find them at a short notice.
Which route to take
What people usualy mean when they say 'Trans-Siberian' is in fact three different routes which all start in Moscow and fork into three in Eastern Siberia. The first one (officially known as the Trans-Siberian) goes to Vladivostok, a major Russian port city on the Pacific coast. The other, known as the Trans-Mongolian, crosses Mongolian border, passes through Ulan-Bator and ends in Beijing. The third route, known as the Trans-Manchurian, crosses Russian-Chinese border and stretches through the Chinese province of Manchuria towards Beijing.
Where to get off (if at all)
There’re dozens of cities on the way which a well worth stopping by for a day or two (or more). But how many of them do you have time to visit? Again, it’s important to determine what you’re mostly interested in. If you’re interested in history and historical architecture, you might want to spend more days in European part of Russia, and skip most of the Siberian cities and the Far East. Understand that the further you go East the less historical monuments you see on the way. Whereas in European Russia there’re many cities that are 700 or 1000 years old, and have well-preserved kremlins and medieval churches, Siberia and the Far East were explored and became a part of Russia much later. For centuries, their primary usage was to dump prisoners and shelter those who weren’t welcome in European Russia. Don’t expect to find much more than some 19-century merchant houses and former mansions of local governors. And although big cities, such as Novosibirsk and Irkutsk, offer quite a lot in terms of culture, in smaller Siberian towns you'll find way less than in those of European Russia.
If it happens that you’re a big lover of nature and crave to swim in Baikal, pat a Siberian tiger and explore national parks, Siberia and the Far East are perfect places for you. But choose the right season for your journey. Baikal stays covered in ice until late May and swimming there is only advisable in late July and August. Most of the national parks can be visited any season but they're definitely easier to explore in summer.
Courtesy of Anatoly Tiplyashin, Krasphoto
Courtesy of Maksim Kholodnitskiy
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